A new compensation structure for faculty, which goes into effect July 1, is a culmination of six months of work among President Bill Law, Faculty Governance Organization President Maureen Mahoney and a committee of Faculty members, Senior Vice Presidents, Provosts and Administration and Professional Staff.

The goal was to establish a salary schedule that recognized faculty longevity and salary equity, provided some certainty about salary progression and phased out faculty overloads as a means to earn more money.

“I think the faculty is going to be extremely happy with this plan,” Mahoney said. “The collaborative effort was just amazing. I think we came up with a great plan that is fair, equitable and, from what I can see, financially feasible.”

The complete plan as approved by the Board of Trustees:

Maureen Mahoney

establishes a defined matrix point salary system that provides reasonable assurance to faculty of how their salaries could progress over the course of a career at the college

provides a means for faculty to move toward the top of the salary schedule over their careers at the college

improves base salary levels that allow faculty to avoid teaching excessive ECH loads in order to earn more

recognizes that salaries for faculty had not kept pace with other institutions.

Faculty member George Greenlee, a member of the committee, told the board he and others are pleased with the way the effort went. “The level of transparency in this process is far and above anything I’ve seen since I’ve been at St. Petersburg College,” he said.

Law said it will take about three years to fully implement the new salary matrix, which will provide increases of 2 to 4 percent in addition to whatever raises the rest of the college receives. As the new schedule is phased in, faculty members will ease out of overloads.

George Greenlee

“Faculty members will not suffer financially by the re-institution of the board rules (on overloads),” Law said. “Over three years, we will achieve a variety of goals: We’ll have a stable faculty salary schedule everybody understands, everybody can describe and, I think, gives us a very sound basis for our future growth.”

The new plan also recognizes that salaries here have not kept pace with other institutions.

“We don’t want a faculty salary schedule that puts us in the middle of the pack,” Law said. “We want to be in the upper echelon.”

To achieve the goals in the plan, the college will provide modest additional compensation to faculty over the next three years beyond other annual raises the board might approve. The additional compensation is based on longevity with the college and would range from 2-4 percent annually.

“In developing a college budget, I believe strongly that you dedicate your resources to support your values,” Law said in his presentation to the board. “In taking this step to strengthen the compensation of the St. Petersburg College faculty, we will be demonstrating our commitment to academic excellence and support of a very meritorious faculty.”

Anne Cooper, Senior Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs, said the process brought concerns and areas in need of change to the forefront.

“The results demonstrate the value we place on our professors and affirm our investment in their future,” she said.